Energy-efficient hard drive

The Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 is up to 59 percent more efficient than comparable 250-gigabyte hard drives currently on the market.

LESS IS MORE: The Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 whittles down active and idle PC power consumption by 40 percent more than the previous generation.

When your computer runs out of memory, upgrading to a whole new system isn’t the most environmentally sensitive option. That’s where the Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 — billed as the world’s most energy efficient desktop drive — comes in. The unit is up to 59 percent more efficient than comparable 250-gigabyte hard drives currently on the market, and it whittles down both active and idle PC power consumption by more than 40 percent from Hitachi’s previous generation of hard drives. Look for models for both personal computers and your big, honking office power drainer. $159.99, hitachi.us

Story by Mike Dolan. This article originally appeared in Plenty in February 2008.